ISO 21500:2021 provides guidance on project, programme, and portfolio management (PPPM) by outlining the organizational context and key concepts for these disciplines. This standard aims to help organizations adopt or improve PPPM practices, offering a high-level framework for understanding governance, relationships among projects, programmes, and portfolios, and the broader environmental factors impacting their management. It replaced the earlier ISO 21500:2012, which focused solely on project management.

ISO 21500:2021 introduces significant updates compared to its predecessor, ISO 21500:2012. It shifts focus from detailed project management guidance to a broader perspective on project, programme, and portfolio management (PPPM) within an organizational context. The detailed project management guidance previously included in ISO 21500:2012 is now covered by ISO 21502:2020. This new approach positions ISO 21500:2021 as a foundational standard that provides overarching guidance and links to other related standards, offering organizations a cohesive framework for adopting and improving PPPM practices across multiple levels.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Scope: ISO 21500:2021 applies to organizations of any size, type, or sector, covering projects, programmes, and portfolios of varying complexity, size, and duration.
• Governance Focus: Emphasizes principles, policies, and frameworks for directing and controlling PPPM within an organization.
• Interrelated Standards: Provides an overview of the relationships among ISO standards on PPPM, including ISO 21502 (guidance on project management), ISO 21503 (programme management), ISO 21504 (portfolio management), and ISO 21505 (governance).
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Designed to accommodate diverse organizational needs, making it applicable to both public and private sectors.

Audience

This standard is relevant to:

• Practitioners and professionals in PPPM.
• Executives, senior management, sponsors, and governing bodies overseeing PPPM activities.
• Stakeholders and academia involved in developing or applying PPPM practices.
• Developers of organizational, national, or industry standards and public policies.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ISO 21500 contributes to key SDGs, including:

• Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8),
• Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9),
• Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11),
• Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and
• Climate Action (SDG 13).

By offering this framework, ISO 21500:2021 supports organizations in developing consistent management practices, fostering effective communication among stakeholders, and achieving strategic goals through well-governed projects, programmes, and portfolios.

For further details, refer to the official ISO 21500:2021 page.